The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has been named as the winner of the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) 2014 Advocacy Award for its advocacy of the value of using education data to enhance instruction and improve learning for all students in Tennessee. “We are pleased to honor SCORE’s efforts to engage all Tennesseans, including educators, policymakers, and families, in a collaborative conversation about improving education in the Volunteer State,” said Aimee Rogstad Guidera, executive director of the Data Quality Campaign. “Tennessee SCORE’s work has highlighted the value of using data to figure out both opportunities for improvement and clear successes that should be replicated to help more students realize their potential.” SCORE, an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy and research institution founded by former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, uses data as one of four pillars to their advocacy. The organization’s annual SCORE Prize is a celebration of what is possible in education in Tennessee—and data are a foundational piece of the awards. SCORE employs state student achievement and growth data, as well as other data about school populations, location, and more, to select finalists for its annual accolades.
Winners of the prize serve as examples of what data use can look like at the school and district levels. Site visits to select the winners include observations of how data are used to meet goals and improve student outcomes. These proof points serve as examples to others state and nationwide. SCORE’s work promoting effective education data use across the state has contributed to a culture at state, district, and classroom levels that prioritizes using data to improve student achievement. “Data can sometimes be misunderstood, so it is important that policymakers, educators, and parents have the tools they need to accurately use data as a powerful tool to tailor teaching to individual students to improve academic achievement. SCORE is honored to be selected for this recognition by DQC, an organization that is devoted to helping public schools become better at using data to benefit students,” said SCORE President and CEO Jamie Woodson. DQC’s Recognition Program awards policymakers, district leaders, and advocates who have demonstrated a focus on using education data to support families and educators in their efforts to improve student achievement in four categories.
Featured: Podcast interview with Executive Vice President David Mansouri. The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, national advocacy organization committed to realizing an education system in which all stakeholders—from parents to policymakers—are empowered with high quality data from early childhood, K–12, postsecondary, and workforce systems. To achieve this vision, DQC supports state policymakers and other key leaders to promote effective data use to ensure students graduate from high school prepared for success in college and the workplace. For more information, visit www.dataqualitycampaign.org. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) collaboratively supports Tennessee’s work to prepare students for college and the workforce. We are an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan advocacy and research institution, founded by Senator Bill Frist, M.D., former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. For more information about SCORE, visit www.tnscore.org. We are on Twitter as @score4schools and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/score4schools.